Process of manufacturing alcohol from garbage.



JAMES MORGAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOI.

nii-114,017.

iTo dllvwwm t muy concern:

No Drawing.

Be it known that I, JAMES J. MORGAN, a

l citizen of the United States, 4residing at Chicago, Cook county,

Illinois, have invented a new and useful Process of Manufacturing Alcohol from Garbage, of which the follovsru ing 1s a specification.

Myv invention relatesy to the process manufacturing alcohol and the object thereof is to provide a comparatively simple and eilicient processfoif manufacturing alcohol from garbage or similar refuse.

Speaking in general terms, my process consists in iirst converting the carbohydrates contained in the, garbage to glucose by the mineral acid and then converting the glucose so obtained to alcohol by fermentation. i

ln practice, the garbage is reduced -by preference to a homogeneous mass by crushingy or grinding the same in suitableA manner and the same'being introduced in a suitable container is mixed thoroughly with a dilute solution of a mineral acid such as sulfurie, hydrochloric or nitric acid. The mass is thereupon heated to or near the temperature of boiling Water and such temperatureis maintained4 until vsuch time as the numer ous carbohydrates present in the converted to glucose. thus obtained contains acid and'free organic p ent and also the free organic acids released from combination by the addition of a ininera-l acid. rl`his mass or solution is thereupon neutralized by a suitable neutralizing agent such as for instance linie, marble dust, lye, etc. The mass is thereupon cooled to a proper temperature, such as for instance to 70 degrees l?. and is then mixed with a'suitable quantity `ol brewers vyeast and allowed to ferment. The 'alcohol thus formed is recovered by distillation in the usual manner.

Referring to a typical operation as an example, a given Weight of garbage is reduced to av homogeneous mass in suita manner as by crushing or grinding, and, being then introduced into a container, is mixed thoroughly with from live to ten times its Weight of a substantially 2% solution of sulfuric acid. This acid is used by preferencebecause When neutralized the resulting product has practically no edect upon the' subsequent fermentation. The strength of the acid so employed may vary garbage are The mass or solution glucose, free mineral acids originally pres- Speeifcation of Letters Patent. Aiiplieation led September 20, 1909. I

`under treatment.

lIPROCESS OF MANUFACTURING ALGOI-IQL- FRGIVI .-GARBAGE.

y,restentea oet. 2o, iai/i. semaine'. sienta that the more inorganic matter etc.) present, the stronger the acid required.

" ihe mixture which results from the above incomplete.

.treatment and which should be of suiiicient fluidity to permit of boiling, is now intro# its temperature brought to or near the boilying point. p for forti/live minutes at the end of which time a small drawn and the amount of dextrosey therein determined. #The boiling is still continuedA and quai-ititative tests of the dextrose present are made at intervals of ten or fifteen minutes. When at length two successive tests fail to sho-W any considerableincrease of dextrose the conversion may be considered complete. This result Will occur in about one and a half to two hours. The fluid mass which now contains the fermentablel sugars, free sulfuric. acid, free organic acids which have been released from their combinations by the stronger mineral acid, and the changed .and unchanged residue, is lthereupon `introduced into suitable vats and neutralized by the addition oi' lime. The neutralization is necessary at this point inasmuch as the presence of even small quantities of either organic or inorganic acids renders the subsequent fermentation slow and tralizing agent since the resulting sulfate less soluble and has less injurious action on the subsequent fermentation than the salts soda or potash, for instance. is new allowed to cool to about degrees F. and brewers yeast is added in considerable proportion, preferably one pound thereoli-to the barrel of liquid. Fermentation is then allowed to proceed and the solution tested for dextrose from time to time. When the dextrose has practically disappeared.,- fermentation may be considered con'iplete, this step in 'the process usually occupying from live to nine days. The fluid mass is then conducted to a suitable distillingapparatus and the alcohol recovered and relined in the usual manner.

lt lwill be understood that l use the term glucose in the scientific sense as referring to the fermentable sugars (dextrose, and laevulose) as distinguished from the glucose of the trade in which instance the term glucose is applied to the product obtained according tothe composition of the garbagel ln general, 1t may be said- (bone, salts,

This temperature is maintained quantity of the liquid is Withducedinto a suitable vat or container and Lime is selected for the neul' bythe conversion of starch and the subsequent refining thereofv into the merchantable glucose.

In the described process of manufacturing alcohol from garbage it is necessary before fermentation takes place to remove from the mass or solution the lfree mineral and organic acids referred to inasmuch as their presence has a strong and deleterious effect upon alcohol fermentation, making the operation of fermentation extremely slon1 and incomplete in proportion to the quantities of the acids present.

Byl my process l am enabled to utilize garbage and the like for the production of alcohol in a very simple and inexpensive manner.

I claim:

1. The process of manufacturing alcohol from garbage which consists in introducing into a mass of garbage a dilute solution ofmineral acid and subjecting the same to the action thereof until the carbohydrates are converted into glucose, neutralizing said -acid and other acid or acids present after such conversion, then introducing a fermenting agent, and finally recovering the alcohol by distillation; substantially as described.

2. The process of manufacturing alcohol from garbage Which consists in introducing into a mass of garbage a dilute solution of mineral acid and heating the same and subjecting such .mass of garbage to the action of the acid until the carbohydrates are converted into glucose, neutralizing said acid and other acid or acids present after such conversion, then introducing a, fermenting agent., and finally recovering the alcohol by distillation; substantially as described.

3. rlhe process of manufacturing alcohol from garbage which consists in introducing into a mass of garbage a dilute solution of mineral acid and heating the same to a temperature approximating the boiling point of Water and subjecting it to the action of the acid until the carbohydrates are converted into glucose, neutralizing said acid and other acid or acids present after such conversion, then introducing a fermenting agent, and finally recovering the alcohol by distillation; substantially as described.

d. rhe process of manufacturing alcohol from garbage which consists in introducing into a mass of garbage a dilute solution of mineral acid and subjecting the same to the action thereof until the carbohydrates are comforted .into glucose, adding lime for neutralizing said acid and other acid or acids present after such conversion, then introducing a fermenting agent. and finally recovering the alcohol by distillation; substantially as described.

5. The process of manufacturing alcohol from garbage which consists in reducing the garbage to a substantially homogeneous mass, mixinov therewith a dilute solution. of mineral acid to form a mixture of proper fluidity for boiling, heating such mixture until the carbohydrates are converted, thereupon neutralizing said acid and other acid or acids present, then introducing a fermenting agent, and finally recovering the alcohol; substantially as described.

G. rlhe process of manufacturing alcohol from garbage which consists in reducing the garbage to a substantially homogeneous mass, mixingr therewith a solution of sulfuric acid of the strength and quantity substantially as herein set -forth to form a niixture of proper fiuidfty for boiling, heating such mixture to the boiling point until the carbohydrates are converted, thereupon neutralizing said acid substantially as heroin described, then introducing a ferinentiug agent, and finally recovering the alcohol by distillation; substantially as (lescribed.

JAMES J. MORG-A N.

Witnesses Louis B. ERWIN, S. E. flieen. 

